What year is the play Trifles set in?

Turn of the 20th century, America It’s a wee bit tricky (because Glaspell doesn’t give us an exact year) but we do know the play was first performed in 1916. So we’ll go ahead and assume it’s set somewhere around then, but probably a little earlier.

What is the theme in Trifles play?

Perhaps the single most important theme in Trifles is the difference between men and women. The two sexes are distinguished by the roles they play in society, their physicality, their methods of communication and—vital to the plot of the play— their powers of observation.

What is the plot in Trifles?

The play is loosely based on the murder of John Hossack, which Glaspell reported on while working as a journalist for the Des Moines Daily News. On December 2, 1900, Hossack’s wife, Margaret, reported to the police that an unknown person broke into their house and murdered John with an axe while she slept next to him.

What is the mood of Trifles?

Dark, Opinionated. This play is definitely dark. We’re got a brutal murder, the corpse of dead bird, and the first stage direction tells us we’re in “gloomy kitchen” of a “now abandoned farmhouse” (1).

What is the conflict in Trifles?

The major conflict in this play is external — the men versus the women. The male sheriff, country attorney and neighbor look for evidence, while Mrs. Hale, the neighbor’s wife, and Mrs. Peters, the sheriff’s wife, gather clothing to take to Mrs.

Why is the play called Trifles?

The title of the play refers to the concerns of the women in the play, which the men consider to be only “trifles.” This includes such things as the canning jars of fruit that Minnie Wright is concerned about despite being held for murder, as well as the quilt and other items that Minnie asks to have brought to her at …

What is the main conflict in Trifles?

What is the climax of the play Trifles?

The turning point, or climax, of a play occurs at the high dramatic point of the story, when the conflict begins to be resolved. In Susan Glaspell’s play “Trifles,” the climax occurs when Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale decide to hide a dead bird from authorities investigating a murder case.

What is the climax of Trifles?

What is a symbol in Trifles?

(Meyer 1635) “Trifles by Susan Glaspell portrays a gloomy, dark, and lonely setting. Glaspell uses symbolic objects to help the audience get a better understanding for the characters. The three symbolizes used are a birdcage, a bird, and rope.

What type of play is Trifles?

Drama, Mystery, Parable.

Why is the setting important in Trifles?

Finding the house in total disarray, they soon discover a dead bird, a dead man, and a distraught woman who had a story to tell. The importance in the setting is the rural scene that sets the stage for an unseen drama that might lead one to commit heinous acts against humanity.

Who is the killer in Trifles?

Wright murdered her husband just because he murdered her bird. Although she really murdered him because he neglected to pay attention to her which led her to feel isolated, emotional abuse which has led her to feel depressed, and finally he killed her only last chance at hope, the bird.

What is the climax in Trifles?

What is the denouement of Trifles?

Resolution (Denouement) Hale delivers a snarky comment to the County Attorney while pressing her hand against the dead canary in her pocket. The men are clueless, but we know the women won this round. The story is resolved, and the case is closed—for the ladies and the audience at least.

What do bird symbolize in Trifles?

The bird also symbolizes Minnie’s need for companionship in her childless home, and the death of the bird showed that John not only didn’t acknowledge this need but actually removed her remaining source of happiness in a cruel and brutal way.

Who are the characters in Trifles?

The main characters in Trifles are Minnie Wright, George Henderson, Sheriff Henry Peters, Lewis Hale, Mrs. Hale, and Mrs. Peters.

What is setting in play?

Setting is the time and place (or when and where) of the story. It’s a literary element of literature used in novels, short stories, plays, films, etc., and usually introduced during the exposition (beginning) of the story, along with the characters.